Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine New Products Editor, Diane Dumas, and the 2006 Board of Experts have posted their preliminary selection of nominees for the 2006 Best Software Awards.

90 Windows Mobile experts from around the world (including Geekzone) have nominated 602 Windows Mobile products in 87 Pocket PC categories and 27 Smartphone categories from the 4000-product Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories.

From June 30 through July 14, the public is invited to nominate their favorites. The final list of nominations will be frozen shortly thereafter and then published on-line. In August the experts will vote and determine finalists and winners.

The goal is to have the top 20% of Windows Mobile Smartphone and Pocket PC software nominated.

For logistical reasons, vendors must submit their free product listing in the Encyclopedia to be eligible. Therefore, to be considered in 2006, vendors should submit their products immediately.

Judges, users, and vendors may use the nominations form to suggestion nominations, un-nominations, and mis-categorizations. Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine will make final determination, with expertsí suggestions having the most weight.

Public discussion of the awards can be found at the Smartphone & Pocket PC forums.